Peer Mentor Opportunities

The University of Toronto has many Peer Mentor programs. Some of them are routed in identity, area of study or open to all. Some of the programs are run by staff or faculty, others by students as part of a club or student society. All of the programs have their own recruitment and selection process.

Step 1 – Look at the programs listed below and determine which program you are qualified for/would like to work with.

Step 2 – Determine the timelines and what is needed to apply. If you have any questions feel free to contact the coordinator for assistance.

Step 3 – If you can’t find any positions available check back on a regular basis. A majority of the positions are posted in August and March.

Another Option – check the Mentorship Database to see what other programs are available and contact the coordinator directly to find out timelines and how to apply.

Academic Bridging Mentorship Program

The Academic Bridging Mentorship Program (ABMP) has been created to address the challenges that arise for students who may have been away from formal education for a period when going into full or part-time studies at the University of Toronto. The objective of the program is to ensure new students remain engaged and committed to their development and education. This will be achieved by building confidence and skills through one-on-one peer mentorship and by providing a safe space for guidance during students’ first year.

If you are interested becoming an Academic Bridging Mentor and have completed the Bridging Program please register using the following form. Please note, mentors must have completed 6.0 FCEs or more, and have a CGPA of 2.00 or higher.

Academic Success Centre - Graduate Writing Group Peer Facilitator

The ASC graduate student writing groups allow UofT students to meet three interrelated objectives: (1) secure quiet time and space for writing; (2) develop a community of interdisciplinary grad students; and (3) learn strategies for managing projects and setting goals.

In the ASC graduate student writing groups, students meet weekly and can work on any writing project at any phase of development for 2.5 hours. The time might be used for reading, research, free-writing, outlining, writing, revising, editing, etc. Students are expected to operate Wi-Fi and phone free to avoid the lure of non-productive internet procrastination and social calls/texts.

The role of the Peer Facilitator is to lead the group each week in setting goals for the first ten minutes, and checking in with participants about the process for the last ten minutes of each session, reinforcing strategies to facilitate writing productivity. The Peer Facilitator will distribute snacks, enforce guidelines for maintaining a quiet space, and record attendance.

The Peer Facilitator should be a University of Toronto graduate student familiar with graduate level writing; strategies that facilitate productivity; and resources on campus for writing development, stress management, avoiding isolation, and conflict resolution. Training will be provided between August and the beginning of September..

Each Peer Facilitator will work 3-6 hours each week for an honorarium of $500 per term. This is a twelve month position starting August 22, 2016.

Accessibility Services - Peer Mentorship Program

The work load is generally 4-6 hours per week. This includes one-on-one meetings with mentees, social events, academic workshops, ongoing training, and monthly meetings.

There will be up to 16 peer mentor positions, and each will receive an honorarium of $1,000.

Qualifications

Peer mentors should have completed at least two academic years of study (8.0 courses) and have a minimum cGPA of 2.5 (as currently listed on ROSI)

Please Note: Applicants who do not completely meet this minimum cGPA requirement but can demonstrate that they learned from and overcame academic and personal challenges by making use of University resources are also considered strong candidates for these positions.

Must be currently enrolled at the St. George campus (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral, or a Non-Degree Program).

Recruitment Process: Interested students must fill out the application form (available online or in-person at the Accessibility Services). Successful applicants will be contacted to attend an interview, sometime in March. Positions will be offered to students in April.

Application Available: Sunday February 7

Positions Run: September to April

Special Notes: To be hired as a mentor you must attend our mandatory training program. This intensive training covers disability-related topics, leadership skills, academic support, group facilitation, communication and listening skills, and includes collaborative trainings with other peer mentorship programs at U of T.

Anthropology STEP Mentoring

The mentoring program in the department of anthropology is a great opportunity for upper-year anthropology students to mentoring lower-year students. We hope that mentors will be in their 3rd, 4th or 5th years, with mentees in their 1st or 2nd. It's a great way to engage with the community and to obtain helpful information on courses and on experiential opportunities.

Recruitment Process: Throughout the academic year, students are encouraged to join the mentoring program and participate as a mentor or mentee. We hope to pair students in one of the sub-disciplines, so that students interested in specific avenues in anthropology get the best information.

Application Deadline: Rolling matching throughout the year

Positions Run: September to April

Special Notes: There is a training session on September 10, 2016 that we hope mentors will attend.

First in the Family Peer Mentor Program

Peer Mentor: Must be a first generation student; must be a registered degree student; must be in the Faculty of Arts and Science; must have successfully completed at least two (2) academic years of study i.e. 8.0 courses by May 2016; must have a minimum CGPA of 2.5 (as currently listed on ROSI); and must be enrolled at the St. George campus (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral, or a Non-Degree Program). Must commit to attend pre-program and Foundations training in September (3 weekdays + 1 Saturday), and weekly program events every Friday 2 - 6pm. from September 1 - April 30.

Application Available: March

Positions Run: September to April

Special Notes: All Mentor hiring is conditional upon continued attendance at mandatory September trainings and weekly program events every Friday 2 - 6pm. from September 1 - April 30.

First-Year Learning Communities (FLCs)

FLCs (pronounced “flicks”) provide students with the opportunity to meet classmates, develop friendships, form study groups, and develop academic and personal skills. Student mentors help introduce students to the resources, opportunities, culture, and treasures of the campus and its surrounding community.

Each FLC group is facilitated by an upper-year student, called a Peer Mentor (PM) with the support of an Assistant Peer Mentor (APM) and under the guidance of an Advisor (from the college, department, or program); these individuals are the FLC Team. The content of FLC meetings will address three broad transition areas: academic, developmental, and social. FLC meetings occur bi-weekly in the fall and winter semesters.

Our mentors are undergraduate students entering their 2nd year or higher at U of T in September, are in good academic standing, and have taken courses similar to the students in the FLC stream they would be mentoring, but are not responsible for tutoring.

Recruitment Process: Applications will be posted on the CLN website, followed by interview for selected candidates.

Application Available: January

Positions Run: August to April

Special Notes: Mentors must attend a 2-hour orientation session in early April, and a 3-day training program during the week before Labour Day.

iConnect International Mentorship Program

iConnect Mentors are undergraduate or graduate students on the St. George campus who are entering their 2nd year (or higher) at U of T in September. As a mentor you will provide the first tier of mentorship in iConnect. Mentors support international students during their unique transition to campus and support intercultural learning. You will not only enhance your own international perspectives, intercultural and communication skills, but also those of the mentees. Mentors help promote diversity and inclusion by directly supporting mentees over the summer, fall and winter terms with e-mentorship, one-on-one mentoring and smaller scale outings on and off campus. You can also receive a Co-Curricular Record (CCR) notation recognizing your volunteer involvement in the program.

iConnect Leaders are undergraduate or graduate students on the St. George campus who are entering their 3rd year (or higher) at U of T in September. These are honouraria volunteer positions. Leaders deliver community programming through six large scale events, ongoing communications, reporting of student experiences, and recruitment of mentors. They form the second-tier of mentoring relationships where the Leaders support the mentors. Leaders also receive CCR recognition for their contributions to the program.

Recruitment Process: If you are interested in a Mentor or Leader position, you can check out the Volunteer Board on the Career Learning Network in January when they become available.

InSight - Innis Peer Mentorship Program

Peer mentors at Innis are upper year students (2nd year and higher) who are academically sound, and engaged in the Innis and/or U of T Community. Mentors are not limited to being Innis College students, although mentees are all Innis Students. InSight mentors provide general encouragement, advice and social opportunities to students and are paired generally based on academic congruence.

Recruitment Process: Paper application with cover letter and resumé, followed by interview.

Application Available: February

Positions Run: September to April

Special Notes: Must attend at least one full day training session available in March/April or September. Dates to be determined.

NEW Connections Peer Mentorship Program

The NEW Connections Peer Mentorship Program is aimed at creating symbiotic and meaningful relationships within the New College community. The program aims to support incoming students with their academic, cultural and social transition to New College and the University of Toronto by connecting them with an upper-year student throughout the year. NEW Connections Peer Mentors must be upper-year university students from the Faculty of Arts and Science (2nd year or up).

Each Peer Mentor will be expected to fulfill the following, including, but not limited to: attend New College Peer Mentorship training in September as well as Student Life Peer Mentorship Training. Peer Mentors are expected to meet with their mentees twice a month, one meeting of which must be in person. They must also be available to attend 4 mentorship meet up sessions hosted by Office of Residence and Student Life (ORSL) and submit monthly reports on their mentorship experience (and content of conversations) to ORSL. Peer Mentors are expected to be able to provide comprehensive referrals of students to appropriate campus resources and communicate those referrals to ORSL. They should be able to support mentees in finding and engaging in academic, social, and personal developmental opportunities on campus.

PAIR Program

Pair is a peer mentorship program open to all undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts & Science on the St. George campus. We match students primarily based on program of study, similar career goals or other interests.

Recruitment Process: After filling out an application, we search for a suitable match. This may take up to two weeks.

Peer Mentor Facilitators

Are you looking for a leadership development opportunity to improve your presentation and facilitation skills? We are looking for 6 Peer Mentor Facilitators for 2017-2018. This is a volunteer opportunity for current students who have previously served (for at least one academic year) as Peer Mentors at U of T, and have attended Mentorship Foundations (or equivalent).

With assistance, Peer Mentor Facilitators will work in pairs to schedule, plan and co-facilitate 1 Mentor Café per month. Peer Mentor Facilitators will also co-facilitate (with a staff member) at least one Mentorship Training Workshop.

Successful candidates must be available for one day of training in July or August (will be decided once all facilitators are hired), attend group meetings in September, October, January and March and complete a reflection activity to be eligible for CCR validation. Applications due May 18, 2017.

Orientation to Engineering (APS100) TA Mentors

APS100 is a course that helps new undergraduate Core 8 and TrackOne students transition into first-year engineering studies and develop a greater understanding of the academic learning environment, the field of engineering, and how the fundamental mathematics and sciences are used in an engineering context. As a TA Mentor you will help deliver course material, answer questions and provide general support and encouragement to first year students during weekly tutorials.

APS100 TAs Mentors are upper year (3rd and 4th year) undergraduate engineering students in a Core 8 program who are looking to improve their leadership and facilitation skills while giving back to the first year community. This is a paid position, TA Mentors are hired under CUPE.

Statistical Sciences Peer Mentorship Program

The Statistical Sciences Peer Mentorship Program aims to help provide support to international students within the Statistical Sciences and Actuarial Sciences program.

Junior students are matched with senior students who share their personal experiences as a student and also provide support in connecting Mentees to useful academic, social, language and career resources.

Application Availability: October 2016 & December 2016

Positions Run: October to April; January to April

For more information or to apply: Submit resumé and application to Gillis Aning, Statistical Sciences Undergraduate Administrator at gillis.aning@utoronto.ca.

Student Parent Peer Mentorship

Are you a student with family responsibilities juggling family life and studies? Have you been at U of T for a year? Become a mentor and share your strategies and insights with your peers. This activity will be officially recognized with a notation in your transcripts and can be listed in your resume/CV!

University College E-Mentorship Program

Do you remember the questions, excitement and fears you had the summer before you began your journey at University College?

Sign up to be a UC E-Mentor to support this year's incoming students prepare for their first year at UC. As an e-mentor, you will provide a valuable personal connection for a new student, information about upcoming events, referrals to campus resources and answer questions to assist in the transition to university. E-Mentors will also facilitate online communities for incoming students to meet other new students for support and prepare for their first days at UC.

USMC Connect

USMC CONNECT is a peer-to-peer mentor program open to all St. Michael’s College students, with a particular focus on first year students. Mentors meet weekly with small groups of students connecting them to academic programming and resources and engage students in the community life of the College. Serving as student ambassadors for the College, mentors host events such as Exam Jelly in Kelly, USMC Inspire, Grad Month, Carnival Day & USMC Lead.

Woodsworth College - E-Mentorship Program

Coming to the University of Toronto can feel daunting, but with our Woodsworth College E-Mentorship program in partnership with the Arts & Science STEP Forward Initiative, we are increasing the accessibility for all incoming students to help smooth out their transition into University. Our E-Mentorship program will give students the opportunity to connect, orient, and transition more fully with the aid of assigned Woodsworth upper year student E-Mentors, webinars and more accessible e-Resources.

As an E-Mentor, you will be responsible for connecting with a group of incoming Woodsworth students over the summer via e-mail. This activity is designed to be flexible and accommodating for students who will be outside of Toronto or who will not be taking any summer courses. Mentors who show thorough participation in the program will be eligible to receive a CCR notation. All Mentor applicants must have completed 4.0 FCEs and hold a minimum CGPA of 2.3 in order to be eligible to participate in the program.

Recruitment Process: Eligible students interested in participating as an E-Mentor will be required to fill out an application form. Successful applicants will be invited to a one-on-one interview with the Program Coordinator.

Application Available: February

Positions Run: Through the summer

Special Notes: All successful candidates will be required to attend a mandatory training